Doll joint



Dec. 26, 1950 H. IR. BEEBE 2,535,116

DOLL JOINT Filed March 19, 1947 30 /WTO/Q/vfyf Patented Dec. 26, 1950DGLL JOINT Herbert R. Beebe, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to AmericanCharacter Doll Company, New York,

N, a firm Application March 19, 1947, Serial No. 735,578

(Cl. Lid-173) 2 Claims. l

This invention relates to a joint construction for articulated limbs fortoy figures such as dolls and the like.

The invention has for an object the provision of a joint constructionfor swvelly connecting together the limbs and body of toy gures ofhollow formation having an outer compressible or deformable casing whichmay be filled if desired with a stuffing material.

The invention has in view an improved joint constructi@I1 for swivellyconnecting the limb members with the body of a toy figure by engagementof inturned ends of the limbs between annular nestable elements swivellymounted on studs having their inner ends extending into and securedwithin the body of the doll.

More particularly the invention has for an object the provision of ajoint construction including an annular element which is normally dishedinwardly and formed with circumferentially spaced flanged rim portionsand which is adapted to be disposed in outwardly dished for mation so asto force the anged rim portions inwardly for clamping an inturned end ofthe casing between the flanged rim portions and an annular member nestedwithin the flanged rim portions.

With the foregoing and other obiects in view reference is now made tothe following specification and accompanying drawings in which thepreferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of an arm andy body of a doll and includinga ioint construction embodying the invention with parts thereof shown insection and in separated juxtaposition.

Fig, 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the limb and body of thedoll in connected relation.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken approximately on line 3-3 ofthe arm in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is Aa fragmentary view taken approximately on line 4-z-4 of Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the limb and body of a dollillustrating a modification of the joint construction with the parts.shown in connected relation.

Referring to the drawings by characters of ref- ,erence and moreparticularly to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive thereof, the invention is shown in its application vto a jointconstruction for swivelly securing an arm I0 to the body II of a doll.As illustrated, the arm I0 and body Il are of hollow formation and arefashioned of any 'desired material such as rubber composition, fabricand the like.

In order to connect the arm Ill to the body II for pivotal swingingmovement an annular member I2 is provided which is normally of inwardlydished formation having its opposite faces I3 and I4 of concave-convexconfiguration in cross-section. The said annular member is formed with aperipheral flange or rim I5 normally projecting outwardly therefrom toprovide a structure of frusto-conical formation with the flange or rimbeing provided on its inner periphery with an annular lip or bead IS.The flange or riml I5 and the annular lip or bead I6 are radially splitat circumfcrentially spaced points as at Il to divide the same intocircumferentially spaced segments I8.

In assembling the parts of the joint construction the annular member I2is arranged in in.- wardly dished formation within the arm I0 adja-vcent the open end thereof as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings withthe flange or rim I5 engaging between the wall or casing I5 of the armand an inturned end 20 thereof extending inwardly in annular engagementagainst the inner peripheral edge of the bead I6. An annular member 2|piv- -otally mounted on a stud 22 is inserted in nested 'relation withinthe rim l5 of the annular mem-v ber I2. Pressure is then applied againstthe annular member 2l so as to force the member I2 into outwardly dishedformation or with the op! posite faces l 3 and I4 thereof ofconveXo-concave formation in cross-section which forces the rim segmentsI8 inwardly into overlying relation with the annular member 2| and withthe extremity of the inturned end 2! of the casing extending into theannular recess formed by the bead I6, which is tightly clamped thereinbetween the flange or rim I5 and the peripheral edge of the annularmember 2l as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Constructed in this manner the annular mem.- bers I2 and 2i are firmlysecured within the arm I8 with the annular member 2i nested within theflange I5 and extending under the bead I6 of the annular member I2 tothereby securely fasten the inturned end 2B of the casing iii betweenthe said annular members. The annular member 2l is formed with a centralaperture 23 through which protrudes the stud 22 which extends into thedoll body II through an aperture 243 in the side wall thereof andthrough an apertured disk 25 disposed against the inner face of the dollbody. The protruding inner end of the stud 22 is engaged by a fasteningelement 25 for connecting the parts together with the stud 22 providinga pivotal connection about which the arm i is adapted to rotate.

The stud 22 is formed with a series of longitudinally spaced undercutportions providing peripheral shoulders 2'! behind which are adapted toengage oppositely projecting spring tongues 2S of the fastening element26 for locking the inner end of the stud 22 in protruding relation inthe doll body so as to prevent accidental or unintentional releasethereof. The spring tongues 28 are formed from the body of the fasteningelement 26 by longitudinally slitting the same in transversely spacedrelation as at 29 and by a transversely extending slit forming theopposite inner ends 39 of the spring tongues.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. of the drawings an arm33 is swivelly connected to the body 34 of a doll by a jointconstruction consisting of nestable annular members 35 and '36, theannular member 35 having a peripheral flange or rim 31 between which andthe inner edge portion of the annular member 88 the inturned end 38 ofthe wall of the arm 33 is engaged. The annular members 35 and 35:? arecentrally apertured and engaging therethrough is a stud 39 similar tothe stud 22 in the previous form 0f the invention which is provided witha fastening element 4E] compressed against the annular member 36 forsecurely fastening the extremity of the inturned end 38 between the saidannular members. The stud 39 similarly provides a pivotal connectionabout which the arm 33 is adapted to be rotated and the same extendsthrough aligned openings fll and 132 in the side wall of the doll body35 and in a disk A3 with the inner end thereof engaged by a fasteningelement it vsimilar to the fastening element 26 in the previous form ofthe invention for connecting the parts together.

What is claimed is:

1. In a .ioint construction of the indicated character, a body for a toyfigure, a limb member therefor having a peripheral wall inturned at itsinner end, a connecting member having a dishshaped wall and a plane rimextending peripherally about said wall and connected therewith -in sharpangular relation, said peripheral rim be- -ing split atcircumferentially spaced locations to provide segmental rim sections, aflat apertured Ymember located in said connecting member withfin theperipheral rim thereof, said connecting member being located within thelimb member with the inturned end thereof extending over said segmentalsections of said peripheral rim and between the same and the peripheraledge oi said at apertured member, and said connecting member beingarranged when in unconnected relation with the dish-shaped wall disposedin inwardly dished relation and the peripheral rim in outwardly flaredcondition and being adapted to be arranged with said dish-shaped walldisposed in outwardly dished formation to thereby effect inward movementof the segmental rim sections to secure the inturned end of the limbmember between said segmental sections and the peripheral edge of saidiiat apertured member, an apertured backing member located within saidbody in engagement with the inner face thereof with the opening thereindisposed in alignment with the opening in said flat apertured member, astud extending through said aligned openings pivotally connecting thelimb member to said body and provided with a series of longitudinallyspaced undercut portions forming peripheral shoulders, and a lockingmember having spring tongues adapted to engage behind any one of saidshoulders for securing the parts together.

2. In a joint construction of the indicated character, a body for a toyfigure, a limb member therefor having a peripheral wall inturned at itsinner end, a connecting member having a dishshaped wall and a rim formedwith an inwardly directed lip extending peripherally about said wall andconnected therewith in sharp angular relation, said peripheral rim andinwardly directed lip being split at circumferentially spaced locationsto provide segmental sections, a iiat apertured member located in saidconnecting member within the peripheral rim thereof, said connectingmember being 1located within the limb member with the inturned endthereof extending over said segmental sections of said peripheral rimand between the inwardly directed lip and the peripheral edge of saidiiat apertured member, and said connecting member beingr arranged whenin unconnected relation with the dishshaped wall disposed in inwardlydished relation and the peripheral rim in outwardly flared condition andbeing adapted to be arranged with said dish-shaped wall disposed inoutwardly dished formation to thereby eiect inward movement of thesegmental sections to secure the inturned end of the limb member betweensaid segmental sections and the peripheral edge of said fiat aperturedmember, an apertured backing member located within said body inengagement with the inner face thereof with the opening therein disposedin alignment with the opening in said ilat apertured member, a studextending through said aligned openings pivotally connecting the limbmember to said body and provided with a series of longitudinally spacedundercut portions forming peripheral shoulders, and a locking memberhaving spring tongues adapted to engage behind any one of said shouldersfor securing the parts together.

HERBERT R. BEEBE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,131,544 Parr Mar. 9, 19151,155,890 Claus Oct. 5, 1915 2,316,732 Weinstein Apr. 13, 1943 2,359,425Katz Oct. 3, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 398,914. GermanyFeb. 19, 1925

